TIPPERARY darts sensation Aidan O'Hara has maintained his impressive rise in the game with a strong run to the last 16 of the PDC World Youth championships.
Only an agonising last leg defeat to reigning World Youth Champion Gian Van Veen denied O'Hara a spot in the quarter finals as he was one of the standout performers amongst the Irish contingent in Wigan today.
Meath's PDC tour card holder, Keane Barry, was the other as he went one step further into the last eight, only for him to also fall to a painful final leg defeat to Sebastian Bialecki.
The pair were amongst six Irish players to make it to the knockout stages after topping their groups in impressive fashion earlier in the day.
Galway's Dylan Dowling and Clare's Dylan Slevin also topped their groups, while Offaly's Ronan McDonagh and Dublin's Sean McKeon advanced to the knockout stages as runners-up in their groups.
McKeon just missed out on a spot in the last 32 when he was defeated 6-5 by Belgium's Nunjo Dewaele, but McDonagh advanced with an impressive 6-1 win over England's Charlie Large.
He was joined in the last 32 by Slevin, O'Hara and Barry, with Dylan Dowling just missing out in a 6-4 loss to Lewis Gurney.
It was O'Hara and Barry who led the charge from there, with the Tipp man defeating German Kilian Hohnstedt 6-2, while Barry advanced to the last 16 with a 6-4 victory over Finley Pember of Wales.
There was no such joy for Ronan McDonagh as he felt the power of newly crowned World Grand Prix champion Luke Littler in a 6-1 defeat, while Slevin also fell at that stage to Tyler Thorpe.
Meanwhile, O'Hara wasn't in any way overawed in his last 16 clash with reigning champ, Van Veen, as he led 5-4 going into the finals stages of a compelling match.
However the Dutchman showed just why he is one of the hottest prospects in the game as he rattled off the final two legs under pressure in just 31 darts to claim his spot in the last eight.
He was joined there by Keane Barry as he defeated Adam Gawlas 6-3 to keep his hopes alive.
A place in the semi-finals beckoned for Barry when he led Bialecki 4-1 in their quarter final clash before his Polish opponent staged an impressive comeback to win the game 6-5.
That was as far as he would go, however, as Van Veen secured his spot in the final for the second year running, and will now face the brillaint Beau Greaves in that after she defeated Littler in the other semi-final.
The pair will face off in the final on a televised stage in Minehead - between the semi-finals and final of the PDC Players Championship Finals - on November 23.
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